bookpower Chapter 275: Accelerating Growth
Chapter 275: Accelerating Growth
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Inside the cave-dwelling, Lan Chang'an didn’t leave Wangyue Immortal City in haste.
Seated cross-legged with his eyes closed, he appeared to be cultivating and consolidating his foundation.
In reality, he was fused with his second life, fully attuning his senses and maintaining a state of high vigilance.
Lan Chang'an wanted to ensure that no Nascent Soul-level cultivators were paying attention to him before leaving Wangyue Immortal City.
Three days later.
Another wave of spiritual sense from a Nascent Soul cultivator swept briefly over him before moving on without lingering.
This kind of subtle probing was nearly impossible for an ordinary Core Formation cultivator to detect.
Lan Chang'an pondered to himself:
“Previously, that old monster Xu left me a voice transmission with the intention of showing goodwill. Logically, as a junior, I should visit and pay my respects.”
Unfortunately, he wasn’t truly Nie Yuan. If he were, he could have used this opportunity to build a connection with a Nascent Soul-level backer.
However, skipping such a visit wasn’t a big issue.
Not all cultivators liked to network or form alliances. Some cultivators were introverted, reserved, or held themselves aloof and preferred to avoid such interactions.
Half a month passed.
There was no longer any spiritual sense from Nascent Soul cultivators focusing on him.
“No rush.”
Lan Chang'an only left his cave dwelling to purchase some resources in the city but still didn’t depart Wangyue Immortal City.
Even within the city, he maintained sharp vigilance.
The cost of goods in Wangyue Immortal City was higher than in most places, so Lan Chang'an only bought a few relatively rare third-rank materials.
The rent for third-rank cave dwellings in the city was also exorbitantly high, costing several thousand spirit stones a year.
Perhaps due to its high-end positioning, the number of cultivators the city's third-rank cave dwellings and inns could accommodate was relatively limited.
With the current tensions caused by the demonic sects invasion, rumors suggested that prices for inns and cave dwellings in the city would rise even further in the future, and restrictions on occupancy might also be enforced.
Moreover, Wangyue Immortal City prohibited outsiders from conducting business or setting up stalls, even street vending was not allowed.
Ordinary cultivators staying here would eventually exhaust their resources.
Lan Chang'an, carrying many secrets, knew he couldn’t remain in Wangyue Immortal City for long.
Currently, his lifespan had reached an impressive 1,144 years, yet he dared not accelerate the cultivation of the Xuanmu Vine Gourd within the city.
He would have to wait until he returned to Jin Yun Valley to attempt it.
...
Another half a month passed.
Lan Chang'an confirmed that no Nascent Soul-level cultivators were monitoring him.
On this day, he "changed" at an inn in the city, assuming the guise of a middle-aged Fake Dan cultivator, and quietly left Wangyue Immortal City.
There were no identity checks when entering or leaving the immortal city.
Flying over a hundred li from the city, Lan Chang'an pulled out an Earth Escape Talisman and used it to swiftly tunnel through the ground for some distance. Ɍ
Finally, he relied on the abilities of the Earth Burrowing Rat to continue traveling underground.
The rocky layers underground provided a strong barrier against spiritual sense.
Combined with the distance he had traveled, the spiritual sense of the Nascent Soul cultivators in the city could no longer reach him.
Thousands of li away from Wangyue Immortal City.
Lan Chang'an adopted another guise, this time as an elderly Core Formation cultivator, and flew toward the Nine Fiery Heavens.
When he finally reached the territory of the Liang Kingdom, Lan Chang'an breathed a sigh of relief.
This time, successfully attaining his Immortal Golden Dan was a smooth endeavor.
Even if Nie Yuan’s identity were to be investigated and found suspicious, it no longer mattered.
What truly mattered was that Lan Chang'an not only succeeded in forming his Golden Dan but also managed to conceal his identity.
Although the phenomena of forming a Core were hard to hide, masking the grade of the Core afterward was relatively easy.
Seven days later.
A white-robed man riding a turtle appeared, heading back toward Huanglong Immortal City from the direction of the Black Fog Mountain Range.
The direction of his appearance was completely opposite to Wangyue Immortal City.
Unless someone retraced his steps and deduced his actions, it would be nearly impossible to connect the two events.
During his two previous attempts at Core Reformation, Lan Chang'an had used third-rank Illusory Truth Talismans to fabricate an alibi, creating the appearance of being in seclusion.
For the third and final Core Reformation, which occurred three years later, he deliberately avoided using the same method to prevent suspicion from repetitive patterns.
In the Black Fog Mountain Range, relying on the immense strength of his soul from merging his two lives, Lan Chang'an forcibly broke the third-rank spirit contract he had signed with Xie Wuji.
The contract scroll in his hand turned to ash.
“A third-rank spirit contract forcibly destroyed... The Xie Family in the Chen Kingdom will definitely receive news of this.”
Lan Chang'an had anticipated this outcome.
But now, he was no longer a helpless loose cultivator. He was a True Dan Elder of Jin Yun Valley.
No matter how powerful the Xie Family was, their influence couldn’t extend far enough to act recklessly in the Liang Kingdom, which was under the control of the Golden Sun Sect.
Besides, the Chen Kingdom bordered the frontlines of the demonic sect invasion. It was unlikely they would expend too much effort and resources on this matter.
...
Half a day later.
Lan Chang'an returned to Jin Yun Valley.
"Elder Lan!"
"Immortal Lan!"
As he entered the sect's mountain gate, the disciples on guard respectfully greeted him.
At this moment, the aura of Lan Chang'an’s Core still appeared to be that of an early-stage, low-tier True Dan.
This outing of Lan Chang'an’s had only lasted a few months, a relatively normal duration for travel among True Dan cultivators.
In the heartland of Jin Yun Valley, atop a mountain sustained by a third-rank spiritual vein stood a peak named Yunlai Peak, which served as Lan Chang'an’s personal cultivation site.
The territory under the jurisdiction of Yunlai Peak included not just the main peak but also the surrounding mountains and spiritual fields.
This territory was Lan Chang'an’s personal estate, comparable in size to the entire Wuqi Mountain Range.
Inside the Elder Residence on Yunlai Peak, two Qi-Refining disciples—a young man and a woman—stood respectfully, awaiting his return.
They were servants Lan Chang'an had selected two years ago.
He called them Little Dong and Little Qiu.
The former had thick eyebrows, large eyes, and a simple, honest demeanor; the latter was a delicate beauty with a willow-like waist and graceful bearing.
Both were in their early twenties and at the Qi-Refining stage of cultivation.
"Elder Lan, here is your mail."
Little Qiu knelt and presented a jade box.
Whoosh!
Before she could hand it over, the jade box vanished from her grasp. In her place, a spirit mouse the size of a small dog appeared, holding the box.
Lan Chang'an opened the jade box to find many letters inside. Some were in the form of jade slips or scrolls, while others were written on paper or animal hide, most of them sealed with restrictions.
As a Sect Elder and a third-rank talisman master, countless cultivators sought to establish connections with him.
The letters that reached Lan Chang'an had already undergone an initial screening.
From the pile, Lan Chang'an picked out a few from acquaintances or ones that piqued his interest.
One letter came from Li Congren of Snow Plum Mountain, offering greetings to his elder along with some local specialties.
Another was from Mu Bingyun, who still maintained her habit of writing to him, though the frequency was less than before.
Her letters typically contained questions about talisman techniques, confessions of personal struggles, or nostalgic musings about the past.
When in a good mood, Lan Chang'an would occasionally reply to her.
This time, Mu Bingyun mentioned in her letter that her husband had unfortunately died on the frontlines, leaving her with some concerns for the future.
Lan Chang'an, however, couldn’t be bothered with such matters. His past care for Mu Bingyun had been out of sentiment for an old relationship and a lingering regret.
Encouraged, he sacrificed another hundred years of lifespan, leaving himself with a thousand years remaining.
But before he could wait for further results, Jin Yun Valley welcomed an unwelcome visitor—one he had anticipated.
"Xie Wuji of the Xie Family from the Chen Kingdom, an elder of the Heavenly Net Sect, has come to visit Jin Yun Valley!"
A booming voice echoed as a massive iron fan magical treasure sliced through the skies of the Nine Fiery Heavens, carrying a young man clad in a resplendent robe, arriving at Jin Yun Valley’s mountain gate.
After years of not seeing him, Xie Wuji’s cultivation had reached the peak of the early Core Formation stage.
"Fellow Daoist Xie, you’ve traveled a long way—what brings you here?"
A hearty laugh rang out as a handsome man, wearing a golden feathered robe and a tall crown, flew out from the mountain gate.
It was Xuanxiao, the sect master of Jin Yun Valley and a mid-stage Core Formation cultivator.
"Greetings, Sect Master Xuanxiao," Xie Wuji greeted, suppressing his anger, and arched his hand in greeting.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Xie Wuji revealed his purpose:
"I request that your esteemed sect summon Immortal Lan. This man has broken his word and publicly tore apart a third-rank spirit contract. I, Xie Wuji, must confront him."
Given that the visitor was an Elder of a Nascent Soul sect, Sect Master Xuanxiao sent word to notify Lan Chang'an.
The Sect’s Reception Hall.
It didn’t take long for Lan Chang'an to arrive.
"Xie Wuji!"
Before Xie Wuji could even speak, Lan Chang'an let out a thunderous rebuke:
"Years ago, when I was merely in the Foundation Establishment Realm, you took advantage of my low cultivation to coerce me into signing a third-rank spirit contract. And now you dare to come here and play the victim?"
Xie Wuji opened his mouth to retort but was momentarily stunned.
He couldn’t believe that the once-humble Lan Chang'an, who had previously endured and yielded to him, would now meet him with such a direct and scathing accusation.
"Lan Chang'an, don’t you dare slander me! You accepted the Xie Family’s Core Formation resources, then reneged on your word after forming your True Dan. How could I, Xie Wuji, possibly coerce a True Dan cultivator into signing another spirit contract?"
Xie Wuji sneered, his anger boiling over as he rebuffed the accusation.
It had been five or six years since the second spirit contract had been signed, during which Lan Chang'an hadn’t even visited Proud Moon Palace once.
"Had I not agreed to renew the contract back then, I might never have returned to the Liang Kingdom. It was nothing more than a temporary measure."
"As for the so-called Core Formation resources you so kindly provided, I will return it to you now."
With that, Lan Chang'an tossed a porcelain bottle to Xie Wuji.
The bottle contained a water-element Core Formation item he had purchased separately, equivalent in value to the Pure Essence Water Xie Wuji had originally given him.
"Lan Chang'an! You’ve taken so many resources from my Xie Family over the years, and now you think you can brush it off with just one Core Formation item?!"
Xie Wuji’s expression turned dark as he sneered coldly.
"So many resources?"
Lan Chang'an’s eyes flashed with amusement as he chuckled lightly:
"I can swear a heart demon oath that, aside from that one Core Formation item, I’ve taken nothing else from the Xie Family. Can you swear the same—that you haven’t embezzled any of the Xie Family’s resources?"
Hearing this, Xie Wuji’s face changed slightly.
"Shameless Turtle Immortal! How dare you twist the truth, muddy the waters, and turn the tables on me!" Xie Wuji cursed furiously, saliva flying as he argued.
Watching the two trade insults like mortals squabbling in a marketplace, Sect Master Xuanxiao was left speechless. Seizing an opportunity, he quietly slipped away.
An hour later.
"Jin Yun Valley, by sheltering this shameless scoundrel, will surely face retribution!"
Cursing under his breath, Xie Wuji finally stormed out of Jin Yun Valley.
But as he flew into the Nine Fiery Heavens, Xie Wuji’s angry expression faded, replaced by a faint smirk.
"Heh! That Lan Chang'an played along perfectly. After this performance, the resources I embezzled can now be written off!"
As it turned out, in an effort to persuade Lan Chang'an to cooperate, the Xie Family had once provided him with a batch of True Dan-level resources, including the Crystal Condensation Pill.
Xie Wuji, knowing that Lan Chang'an had no intention of fulfilling his obligations, had simply pocketed the resources himself.
Today’s confrontation had been nothing more than a performance.
By accusing Lan Chang'an of betrayal, Xie Wuji had shifted the blame for the embezzled resources onto him.
With the ongoing war against the demonic sects, the Xie Family would have no time or energy to investigate further.
"That brat has quite the appetite, though. He even sent me a transmission asking for half of the embezzled resources!"
Xie Wuji sneered inwardly.
In his view, letting the matter drop and avoiding further conflict with Lan Chang'an was already a win-win outcome.
Clearly, Lan Chang'an understood this as well and had no intention of continuing the dispute or becoming an enemy of the Xie Family.
Half a day later.
Xie Wuji flew over the desolate region between the Liang and Chen Kingdoms.
Night fell, and the Nine Fiery Heavens grew dark, with fierce gales howling through the skies.
"With these embezzled resources, after accumulating a few more years of war merit, I can attempt breakthrough to mid-stage Core Formation..."
As Xie Wuji flew toward the Heavenly Net Sect in the Chen Kingdom, he silently plotted his next steps.
Suddenly.
A strange black mist appeared in his vision, rushing toward him on the howling winds.
"Who’s there?!"
Xie Wuji shouted angrily, but in the blink of an eye, he was enveloped in an inky black dome spanning several li.
From the outside, it looked like a pitch-black barrier had sealed Xie Wuji off from the world.
Inside the dome, the air turned icy cold, and an eerie, bone-chilling aura surged forth.
Two phantom-like shadows, each wielding a blade of darkness, emerged from the mist and attacked Xie Wuji from both sides.
"Unseen Gate!"
Xie Wuji’s heart froze as he unleashed his Core power, forming a golden ring barrier around him that was as solid as steel.
Boom!
His iron fan magical treasure expanded to the size of a giant Buddha’s hand, gleaming with a layer of dark gold light. It swept through the air, stirring up violent gales that could shatter mountains and tear cities apart.
However, the two shadowy figures were incredibly agile, disappearing and reappearing unpredictably, even swapping places at times.
Xie Wuji’s iron fan struck nothing but air, its massive attacks missing again and again.
The residual force of his strikes wasn’t enough to harm the two shadowy figures, whose strength matched early-stage Core Formation cultivators but whose speed rivaled mid-stage Core Formation experts.
Shing!
The shadowy blades cut through Xie Wuji’s golden barrier, leaving cracks and gashes.
As time passed, Xie Wuji’s energy waned, and deep wounds began to appear on his shoulders, ribs, and legs, exposing bone.
No matter how hard he fought, he couldn’t shake off his attackers or escape their relentless pursuit.
It was as though he were being hunted by a curse, haunted by ghostly wraiths.
"Which Unseen Gate expert is this? Reveal your name!"
Pale-faced and drenched in cold sweat, Xie Wuji shouted as he fumbled through his storage pouch for his last remaining Restriction-Breaking Talisman and mid third-rank Escape Talisman.
Shunk!
A massive scythe, wreathed in gray-white energy, emerged from the shadows and pierced through Xie Wuji’s chest.
"Unseen Gate’s Shadow Hall Chief, as you wished!"
A chilling voice, like the echo of a frozen abyss, resounded in Xie Wuji’s ears.
His body convulsed as he struggled to turn around.
Behind him stood a cloaked figure, whose iron chains connected to the blood-stained scythe that had run him through. The figure’s aura merged seamlessly with the surrounding darkness.
The Hall Master’s power radiated at the peak of mid-stage Core Formation, far beyond Xie Wuji’s ability to resist.
The two shadowy wraiths that had been attacking Xie Wuji now melted back into the Hall Master’s shadow-like phantoms returning home.
"Shadow Hall... Hall Master..."
Xie Wuji’s eyes dimmed, and his consciousness sank into an eternal abyss of darkness.
Chapter 275: Accelerating the Growth of the Xuanmu Vine